Betty Woodman @ Max Protech

Anna Sew Hoy, "Holes", @ Sikkema Jenkins Gallery

This New Zealand native works now in Los Angeles, and her show was an installation of nine or so pieces.

My favorite was this floor piece that really seemed to set up some sort of dialogue between the massive, lumpy clay part and the stripped-away jeans, reminding me of what perhaps could remain after a gazillion trips up and down the mountain by Sisyphus and the rock, finally turning them into one thing.

From some angles this piece looked like it was wearing a thong, or maybe that the clay boulder had given the jeans a good thrashing, perhaps eroding the greater part of the threads in endlessly tumbling around.

This clay multi-hedron was wearing black jeans, and seemed comfortable on cinderblocks. Closer inspection revealed a cache of trashy plastic shades.

Truck

couple new cups

Here are a few more results with the small cups.

...and then there's this...

One of the significant lessons from this off-balancing act with these small cups is that they will display greater imbalance after the final glaze firing. Good to know. I thought I was firing this small cup on top of this kiln shelf shard so it could catch a drip or two that might flow out from the downward-tilting handle. Rather than catching a stray glaze drip or two, what I ended up with was a crazy cup that fused itself completely. Somehow, though, I like it.

Michele Quan @ BowmanBloom

Some nice work in the east village this past weekend. Michele makes garlands of clay balls that are combined with fabric and rope and decorated with slips and underglazes. Great drawing style. I loved the shell shapes as well. Upcoming work from her will feature tusk shapes. Look forward to seeing more.

Clay Pigeons

I'm not quite sure what it is that makes these clay pigeons so amazingly delightful, but I just love them. It could be the immediacy of the way he is working; a real sketch-like feeling. Or it could be the "personality" of their attitudes. They are made by studio manager Albert Pfarr, who is known for his expertise in all areas of clay, glazes, kilns, etc. Here are a few shots that chronicle the method he uses to produce the flock. A loosely thrown jug or bottle type shape is then tilted onto a base, given a beak and face, then glazed with a shino glaze that is heavily reduced in the kiln firing. Wax resist prevents some areas from the effects of the carbon trapping, which is what gives the deep black.